A World After Hogwarts
by blackrimmedmartini
Summary: This story came to me one evening while I was doing nothing but watch the rain out of the window. It struck me as I was thinking about my favourite characters and those who inspire me to be a better person. This story is all about Ginny and Harry, and their friend's lives after leaving Hogwarts and growing up. Enjoy my fellow Muggles.
Ginerva sat on the rugged old couch that Harry had moved into the backyard shed last month. He had intended to make a man cave but Ginny knew that wasn't going to happen - lately, meaning the past few months - Harry had been slacking off a bit. She wondered if it was just age finally catching up with her heroic husband, or if it was a mid life crisis that she had better get Hermione to find a potion for. Ginny had the shed door pulled open as she watched the serene yard she had grown over the years.

Amidst thought, Ginny was suddenly distracted by back door slamming as Albus and Lily ran out of the house, playfully screaming, as their older brother James chased after them with his new Hogwarts robes flying.

"Mum, Mum! Lily and Albus said I look like I toad!" James whined as he plonked himself down on the couch next to Ginny.

"Oh James, they don't really mean it! You know, you think you get badgered! When I was starting out at Hogwarts Uncle George and Uncle…Fred, um, well…they pestered me too."

Ginny hadn't intended too cry, but sometimes the mention of Fred still brought her to tears. It was hard for her to see George grieve and then grow up without his brother joined at the hip like they used to be. George married Luna and they happily raised twin girls - Molly and Minerva, but that didn't make up for the kind of bond that George was cut short of during the Battle of Hogwarts.

James turned to his Mum, who was still quiet and thinking.

"You know Mum, Uncle Fred is still here, just in spirit. He would be proud of you, you know. I bet he would be proud of Dad, and me, and even Albus and Lily too! You know what, he's probably sitting right next to me right now, on this couch - and I bet he's smiling and I bet he's happy."

Ginny looked down at her son and smiled, she saw so much of her older brother in him, and she thanked all the forces on earth for that.

"I bet he is James….I bet he is." She smiled over at the empty spot on the edge of the couch, wishing with all her might that she could have hugged him one last time, kissed his forehead and laced her fingers through his, before he had to go.

...

A series of loud bangs sounded as Harry drove through the pot holes on the road that lead up to his house. The quaint little cottage rose into view and he sighed with relief, home at last. As he pulled into the drive Albus and Lily ran around from the side of the house, near Ginny's rose garden, and bolted towards the car where their dad was.

"Hi Dad!" Lily yelled, over the sound of the dying engine as Harry stopped near the front door.

"Hi Dear, what have you been up to? I hope you haven't drove your mother insane!" He scooped up Lily and hugged her tight. Albus clung to his father's leg and looked up into his eyes.

"Dad, I think there's something wrong with Mum." He whispered, low enough that Lily wouldn't hear.

"Oh, okay, where is she Al?" Harry slowly placed Lily on the pavement and knelt down to meet Albus' eyes.

"She's in the back shed with James…I heard them talking about Uncle Fred…and then Mum was crying…is she gonna be okay?" Albus looked concerned, his mother was the strongest person he knew, and to see her vulnerable was rare.

"No problem buddy, I'll go see how she is, now take your sister and yourself inside and fix yourselves a snack, I'll send James in in a minute, okay?" Harry ruffled his son's hair as Albus nodded quietly.

...

"Harry, honey, I wasn't expecting you 'til later…dear, why didn't you call me when you were nearly home so I could have fixed you an early supper?" Ginny asked, surprised to see her husband home so early from his duties down at the Ministry. She was wiping tears from her eyes, and James was slopped tiredly on her shoulder.

"James, is it okay is you go inside for a bit…I just want to talk to your Mum." James nodded and gave his dad a high five as he passed him and went back up to the house. Harry sat down next to Ginny and rested his head back on the rough fabric.

"I'm sorry I didn't call, it's just been pretty busy at the ministry lately, what with all the muggle sightings Louis Malfoy stirred up on his recent drunken rampage through London. I just wanted to surprise you and the kids by being early." Harry rubbed his prickly chin, and looked over at his wife.

"I know dear, I was just saying…I'm sorry. I'm not feeling myself" Ginny wandered. She turned to face her husband, looking into his dark eyes.

"It's just I feel responsible for all the people who lost their lives in the Battle of Hogwarts. I'm not sure why I feel responsible, I think it's because I worry about what could have been. Can you imagine if Fred was still here, and Remus, and Nora? I mean, Teddy would have had a chance to meet his parents, and Fred would have been able to start a family of his own with Cho, I feel for her, she never told anyone about her and Fred's relationship, until after he died. That must have been so hard for her - especially since Cedric died not that long before Fred." Ginny had tears in her eyes, just as Harry did.

"We mustn't dwell on the past Gin. I mean, look - Cho is happily married to Seamus. Teddy is practically just as much our son as he is Remus and Nymphadora's - and he is the youngest Defense Against The Dark Arts professor Hogwarts have ever seen! George has Luna - and Molly, and Minerva. Even Draco got his happy ending, two sons, aspiring potions master Scorpius, Louis - even though he's a troublemaker, and then his two daughters - Nancy and Fallon - beautiful Slytherin girls; they are. And look at us, we have Lily, James, Albus, and we had Teddy from the start, and each other of course. There are always things we want to change, I know, you know, we all know. But the truth isn't perfect, perfect isn't something that can happen, but we have to make do, for now anyway, and be grateful for what we _have_ got." Harry leaned into his wife's face and kissed her lightly on the lips, she rested her forehead against his and sighed.

"I know, I love you Harry. But I loved them too." Ginny whispered.

"We all did, and we all still do." Harry replied as he took Ginny's hand and lead her back up to the house where their 3 children were greeting Teddy who had just arrived home from his day out with Nancy Malfoy.

...


End file.
